Meredith Sandiford, Author at Break Through Cancer

May 27, 2025September 25, 2025

Emily’s Story: “It Was One of the Last Things I’d Have Ever Expected”

Harvard-trained immunologist and mother of two Emily Venanzi received a shocking diagnosis during Thanksgiving week of 2017—she had metastatic lung cancer. Thanks to the previous decade of research in the field, Venanzi was able to receive a targeted drug therapy that has kept her cancer in-check. Venanzi is now working to advance the next decade of lung cancer research, donating resources, time, and effort to build a ‘dream team’ of lung cancer researchers urgently focused on bringing novel immunotherapies and other treatments to patients. It’s just a cough, Emily Venanzi thought. And maybe some heartburn. But the day before Thanksgiving......

April 30, 2025October 1, 2025

Small Biopsies, Big Insights: How Tiny Tissue Samples Could Transform Glioblastoma Research

Small Biopsies, Big Insights: How Tiny Tissue Samples Could Transform Glioblastoma Research New study from Break Through Cancer TeamLab unveils the power of investigational biopsies, unlocking a promising tool for real-time monitoring of glioblastoma News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Soracha Ward soracha.ward@breakthroughcancer.org (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) April 30, 2025 – Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer, leaving patients with limited treatment options. In a new study published in Nature Communications, the Break Through Cancer Accelerating GBM Therapies Through Serial Biopsies TeamLab has demonstrated how “investigative biopsies” can unlock critical insights into tumor biology. To address the......

December 18, 2024October 1, 2025

Break Through Cancer and Revolution Medicines Collaborate to Study Biomarkers for RAS(ON) Inhibitor in Pancreatic Cancer

Break Through Cancer and Revolution Medicines Collaborate to Study Biomarkers for RAS(ON) Inhibitor in Pancreatic Cancer News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kari McHugh Kari.McHugh@breakthroughcancer.org Collaboration with Revolution Medicines to Study Biomarkers for RAS(ON) Multi-Selective Inhibitor in Pancreatic Cancer The expanded phase 1 clinical trial is using serial biopsies and blood samples to analyze the tumor response to RMC-6236 at an unprecedented level of detail. (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) December 19, 2024 – Break Through Cancer has launched a collaborative cohort for a Phase 1 study of RMC-6236, a compound developed by Revolution Medicines that is designed to suppress multiple......

December 6, 2024October 3, 2025

New collaborative effort aims to cure ALK-positive lung cancer | News Medical

New collaborative effort aims to cure ALK-positive lung cancer December 6, 2024 Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with various subtypes affecting millions of people each year. Among these, ALK-positive lung cancer frequently strikes younger people who have never smoked, including those aged between 20 and 50. Upon diagnosis, 80% of individuals already have stage 4 metastatic cancer, spread beyond the lungs to other parts of the body. Despite initially effective ALK inhibitor treatments, the cancer recurs in most patients, and there are about 70,000 people living with ALK+ lung cancer in the United States. Read......

December 6, 2024March 17, 2026

𝖡𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 launches the PoweRD 2 Cure ALK+ Lung Cancer TeamLab | The Cancer Letter

Break Through Cancer launches the PoweRD 2 Cure ALK+ Lung Cancer TeamLab December 6, 2024 Break Through Cancer has launched the PoweRD 2 Cure ALK+ Lung Cancer TeamLab, a collaboration among nine leading cancer research institutions, including Break Through Cancer’s five partner institutions: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as newly engaged collaborators from Mass General Brigham, Boston Children’s Hospital, the University of Colorado Cancer Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read......

December 5, 2024March 17, 2026

𝖡𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 Launches Team to Prevent Lung Cancer Recurrence with the Hope of Long-term Cures.

Break Through Cancer Launches Team to Prevent Lung Cancer Recurrence with the Hope of Long-term Cures. News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kari McHugh Kari.McHugh@breakthroughcancer.org Break Through Cancer Launches Team to Prevent Lung Cancer Recurrence with the Hope of Long-term Cures. Top cancer researchers unite in radical collaboration to target residual lung cancer cells remaining after initial therapy. (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) December 05, 2024 – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with various subtypes affecting millions of people each year. Among these, ALK-positive lung cancer frequently strikes younger people who have never smoked, including those aged......

November 22, 2024March 17, 2026

𝖡𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 Announces First Patient Enrolled in Phase 2 Trial Targeting Residual Disease in AML

News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kari McHugh Kari.McHugh@breakthroughcancer.org Break Through Cancer Announces First Patient Enrolled in Phase 2 Trial Targeting Residual Disease in AML The novel study explores the effects of menin inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia with minimal residual disease as an endpoint. (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) November 1, 2024 – Break Through Cancer, a Boston-based cancer research foundation, has launched a clinical trial to explore if an investigational drug can eliminate minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML often responds well to initial treatment, but residual cancer cells frequently cause relapse. Break Through Cancer’s......

September 26, 2024October 20, 2025

No More “Wait and See”: Two Clinical Trials Target the Origins of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kari McHugh Kari.McHugh@breakthroughcancer.org No More “Wait and See”: Two Clinical Trials Target the Origins of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Break Through Cancer scientists are evaluating a “second-look” technique to measure and destroy persistent cancer cells resistant to frontline chemotherapy. (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) September 26, 2024 – After initial therapy to treat ovarian cancer, a small number of cancer cells, undetectable on scans, often linger in the body. These cells, referred to as minimal residual disease (MRD), are the seed from which cancer can and does recur for most women diagnosed with stage III or......

May 9, 2024March 17, 2026

𝖡𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 and ALK Positive, Inc. Team Up to Conquer ALK-Positive Lung Cancer with a $2 Million, Multi-year, Research Partnership

News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kari McHugh Kari.McHugh@breakthroughcancer.org Break Through Cancer and ALK Positive, Inc. Team Up to Conquer ALK-Positive Lung Cancer with a $2 Million, Multi-year, Research Partnership CAMBRIDGE, MA, May 9, 2024 /Break Through Cancer announces a new partnership with ALK Positive Inc. (ALK Positive), a foundation funded by patients with ALK-positive lung cancer and their families. ALK Positive and Break Through Cancer are joining forces to fund a new initiative in lung cancer research with the hope of creating durable responses and cures for patients with ALK-positive lung cancer. ALK Positive is the......

April 4, 2024October 3, 2025

Radical Collaboration: Reimagining Cancer Team Science | Nature Discovery

Radical Collaboration: Reimagining Cancer Team Science By: Jesse Boehm and Tyler Jacks Here, we define a future of cancer team science adopting “radical collaboration”—in which six “Hallmarks of Cancer Collaboration” are utilized to propel cancer teams to reach new levels of productivity and impact in the modern era. This commentary establishes a playbook for cancer team science that can be readily adopted by others. Read More at Cancer Discovery...